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Marie Therese de Grandelumiere
Mariette Florie ''(Marie Antoinette)'' (1708 - Present) is the third child of the late Emperor Louis XI and Empress Freya Isabelle IV. Early life at the Court of Louis XI - Madame Deuxieme. Marie Antoinette (Nom de Plume Mariette) was born in the Chateau de Chaudfontaine-en-Liege on January 18th, 1708. She was known at her father's court simply as "Madame Deuxieme" or "Madame Second". Her nom de plume is a combination of both Marie and Antoinette. The name Florie comes from Saint Florian. Florie itself is merely the Grandelumierian female equivalent. At the time of the movement of the ideal of Sensibility her name became the fashion for new-born girls for it's meaning "flowering in bloom". Mariette Florie was born to a life of leisure and tranquillity. In the first eight years of her life she was raised by various noble governesses. Early on in her childhood she was seen as sensitive, charming and polite. These were virtues that she was made sure to know well, hammered in not just by governesses but by her mother on the occasions she was able to have an audience with her. But with all this sweetness encouraged by the females of the court, there were a sourness imported by Louis XI. He gave firm instructions that his daughter should; "...not be fed small pappy pastries and not to over indulge in other sweets or any other indulging temptation..." '' In 1714, Mariette was free of her governesses (Louise Philippine, Comtesse du Bar and Charlotte Francoise, Comtesse de Valence) when she was sent with her two sisters Princesse Amelie and Princesse Madilie to Fontevraud Abbey. There she felt rather oppressed by the superior Nuns, but it was nothing less expected. Her father was more than happy that she was learning penitence and chastity beyond all things. Not much is known of her life in the Abbey for there would be no records written of their time there. She and her sister Amelie remained there until 1722. Mariette soon grew more popular at her father's court. She emerged from the Abbey as a beauty. She found an admirer in Irish statesman Edmund Burke' who wrote of his first sight of the young Madame Deuxieme; "...and surely never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like the morning star full of life and splendour and joy." Louis XI enjoyed her company not for her wit, intellect or conversation but for the purpose of décor. She was often a pawn in his PR exercises. It was observed that out of all of his daughters Mariette was the most beautiful, charming and elegant. She was very gracious when greeting any member of the court, be it high or low, and was well known for putting people at ease. Louis XI could be at times very intimidating so she'd make sure to put people at ease in social events. She was so loved that many commissioned paintings were made. The most notable of these were "Mariette Florie à la Rose", "Princesse Mariette Florie de Grandelumiere - L'eau" ''and supposedly she modelled for "Madame D''écontractée". The painting of "Mariette Florie ''à la Rose" made her famous not only in her own country but oversees. It would be a signature painting and pose for Mariette and was most popular with Louis XI himself. In 1734 construction began on plans written up a year earlier for a chateau. The chateau was to be Mariette's country estate where she could enjoy her botanical gardens. It was to be called ''Le Petit Brimborion. ''Around this time a marriage between herself and the Comte de Retz was discussed but then discarded. The two seemed most attached to one another, and both seemed quite distressed of this plan not going through. In 1738, Louis XI moved his court to Le Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne. It couldn't have been a worse time for an outbreak of smallpox was unleashed, thus causing the deaths of many of his own children. Mariette was devastated at the deaths of her closest sisters, being them Madilie and her ''"Chouchou" ''Marie Sophie. It was at this time that Louis sent Mariette away to the Abbey at Fontevraud. It was here she studied once again in the virtues which some years before were placed upon her in different circumstances. In 1739 that Louis XI passed away and it was in that year than begun a downfall in moral. A sad image was pained in the lines of Madame Poisson in her memoirs of the funeral of Louis XI and his children. She touchingly noted that all the gentlemen proudly walked behind their deceased loved ones, showing solidarity in death. But Madame Possion also described three veil covered women who walked directly behind Louis XI himself. It was the Empress Dowager Freya, Princesse Amelie and Mariette. Life at the Court of Sophie Antoinette I - ''Duchesse de Luxembourg. Mariette Florie was present at her aunts coronation, in her dress which was so reflective of the previous reign that it moved some women to tears. She returned back at the Abbey to commit to her studies, feeling that she had no place in the new court of her aunt. After the rebellion of 1742 she did in fact return to court, feeling that more than ever her aunt would need support from herself. The now Duchesse de Luxembourg grew friendly with a new circle, her most notable friendship was with Madame la Dauphine who reminded her much of her sisters. It showed that the Dauphine and Mariette were a bad influence on each other, the two taking up more frivolities such as gambling and the like. In this new reign Mariette found she was no longer under the watchful eye of her father, for once in her life she enjoyed a sense of freedom. In 1744 she was made the head of the Empress's household as Dame d'honneur. Rumours of affairs began around herself at this time. Her own image changed into that of one "deprived of virtue". '' Around this time she fell out with members of her own family, she had personal feelings of the house. In July of 1744 she began to feel more melancholic of herself. The building of ''Le Petit Brimborion, that building designed for Mariette as a gift from Louis XI, was continued after it's break from construction during the years of the smallpox outbreak and rebellion.'' ''It was in this time that she dictated her memoirs to her old governess Comtesse du Bar, now in her fifties, who was most clever enough to dictate her words more fluidly and with more eloquent sound and readability. Mariette would also pick up writing skills and language to aid the very elderly Marie XI to dictate small anecdotes on the courts of Anne, Charles, Louis X, Louis XI and her own captivity. Mariette went on to describe those stories as the most moving piece of history she had ever heard. A few months later it was evident that the nearing One hundred year old Marie XI was rapidly ailing. The old and frail woman wished for her to spend the rest of her days in Rome, to dedicate herself to penitence and sanctity. Mariette agreed to take her and to live there until the former Empress's death. Mariette left her homeland on the 16th October. After a stop in Turin she, Marie XI and the Comtesse du Bar rested at the home of her sister, Louise Elisabeth. They supped and slept there for a week before returning on their journey towards Rome. Styles and Titles '''Titles and styles. 18th January, 1708 - 1740 Her Imperial Highness, Marie Antoinette, Madame Deuxieme. May 14th, 1740 '- Present' Her Highness, Mariette Florie, Duchesse de Luxembourg. Category:Grandelumierian Nobility Category:House Lowell-Bourbon